“A Complete Unknown” certainly lives up to its title. You are hardly closer to understanding the soul of Bob Dylan after watching more than two hours of this moody look at America's most enigmatic troubadour. But that's not the point of James Mangold's biopic: It's not who Dylan is but what he does to us.
Mangold — who directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Jay Cocks — doesn't do a traditional cradle-to-the-near-grave treatment. He concentrates on the few crucial years between when Dylan arrived in New York in 1961 and when he blew the doors off the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 by adding a Fender Stratocaster.
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Monica Barbaro poses for photographers upon arrival at the photo call for the film 'A Complete Unknown', in London, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Elle Fanning, left and Monica Barbaro poses for photographers upon arrival at the photo call for the film 'A Complete Unknown', in London, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Director James Mangold, from left, Elle Fanning, Timothee Chalamet and Monica Barbaro pose for photographers upon arrival at the photo call for the film 'A Complete Unknown', in London, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Elle Fanning, left, and Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures show director James Mangold, left, and Timothée Chalamet on the set of "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Edward Norton, left, and Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
That means we never learn anything about Dylan before he arrives in Manhattan's Greenwich Village with a guitar, a wool-lined bomber jacket, a fisherman's cap and ambition. And Dylan being Dylan, we just get scraps after that.
The world spins around him, this uber-cypher of American song. Women fall in love with him, musicians seek his orbit, fans demand his autograph, record executives fight over his signature. The Cuban Missile Crisis melds into the Kennedy assassination and the March on Washington. What does Dylan make of all this? The answer is blowing in the wind.
Any sane actor would run away from this assignment. Not Timothée Chalamet, and “A Complete Unknown” is his most ambitious work to date, asking him not only to play insecure-within-a-sneer but also to play and sing 40 songs in Dylan's unmistakable growl, complete with blustery harmonica. Daniel Craig has been called brave for his role this awards season in “Queer.” Try playing “Subterranean Homesick Blues” in front of a crowd.
The last big non-documentary attempt to understand Dylan was Todd Haynes' “I’m Not There,” which split the assignment among seven actors. Chalamet does it all, moving from callow, fresh-faced songsmith to arrogant, selfish New Yorker to jaded, staggering pop star to Angry Young Man. There are moments when Chalamet tilts his head down and looks at the world slyly, like Princess Diana. There are others when the resemblance is uncanny, but also moments when it is a tad forced. You cannot deny he's got the essence of Dylan down, though.
The movie's title is pulled from Dylan’s lyrics for “Like a Rolling Stone” and it's adapted from Elijah Wald’s book “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties.” Dylan isn't a producer but did consult on the script.
It's not the most glowing profile, though the sheer brilliance of the songs — so many the movie might be deemed a musical — show Dylan's undeniable genius. Chalamet's Dylan is unfaithful, jealous and puckish. The movie suggests that adding electric guitar at Newport in '65 was less a brave stand for music’s evolution than a middle finger to anyone who dared put him in a box.
In some ways, “A Complete Unknown” uses some of the DNA from “I’m Not There.” The best clues to what's going on behind Dylan's shades are the refracted light from others, like Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and a girlfriend called Sylvie Russo, based on Dylan’s ex Suze Rotolo, who is pictured on 1963’s album cover for “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.”
Edward Norton is a hangdog Seeger hoping to harness Dylan for the goodness of folk, astonished by his talent. Monica Barbaro is a revelation as Baez, Dylan's on-again-off-again paramour. Boyd Holbrook is a sharklike, disrupting Cash, with the movie's best line: “Make some noise, B.D. Track some mud on the carpet.” And Elle Fanning is captivating as Russo, the sweetheart sucked into this crazy rock drama.
It's Baez and Russo who dig the deepest into trying to find out who Dylan is. They don't buy his stories about learning from the carnival and call him on his facade-building. “I don't know you,” Russo says, calling him a “mysterious minstrel” and urging him to “Stop hiding.” Too late, sister.
There are some lovely moments, especially the morning after Baez spends the night and she wakes to him working on “Blowin’ in the Wind.” They spar a bit (he calls her songs “oil paintings at a dentist office,” and she calls him worse than a jerk) but they come together on the side of his bed in their underwear, he fumbling through what will be one of the greatest protest songs in history, and she supplying delicate harmony.
Mangold — who directed the Cash biopic “Walk the Line” — is always good with music and clearly loves being in this world. There's one scene that initially puzzles — Dylan stops on the street to buy a toy whistle — and you wonder why the director has wasted our time. Then we see Dylan pull it out at the top of the recording of “Highway 61 Revisited” and suddenly it answers all those years of wondering what that crazy sound was.
There are points to quibble — Dylan never faced a shout of “Judas!” from an enraged folkie at Newport; that came a year later in Manchester — but “A Complete Unknown” is utterly fascinating, capturing a moment in time when songs had weight, when they could move the culture — even if the singer who made them was as puzzling as a rolling stone.
“A Complete Unknown,” a Searchlight Pictures release in theaters Friday, is rated R for “language.” Running time: 141 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.
Monica Barbaro poses for photographers upon arrival at the photo call for the film 'A Complete Unknown', in London, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Elle Fanning, left and Monica Barbaro poses for photographers upon arrival at the photo call for the film 'A Complete Unknown', in London, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Director James Mangold, from left, Elle Fanning, Timothee Chalamet and Monica Barbaro pose for photographers upon arrival at the photo call for the film 'A Complete Unknown', in London, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Elle Fanning, left, and Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures show director James Mangold, left, and Timothée Chalamet on the set of "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Edward Norton, left, and Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is keeping elite company.
The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
“I’m very honored,” Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. ”Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I’ll get the award again.”
In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in 2023 and 2021, when he was with the Angels.
“Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods,” he said. “I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States.”
The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson won six times, the most by a man or woman.
Swimmer Léon Marchand of France, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was second with 10 votes in balloting announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with nine.
The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday.
Moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player award and first in the National League, led his new team to its eighth World Series championship and created Major League Baseball’s 50/50 club by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases.
Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, he embellished his reputation even further despite not pitching all season while he rehabilitated from a second major right elbow surgery he had in September 2023.
Ohtani went wild on offense, making every at-bat a must-see moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter batted a career-high .310 while easily surpassing his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases.
In September, he reached the previously unheard of 50/50 mark in a performance for the ages. Against the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and 17 total bases.
"It wouldn’t shock me if he went 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now,” Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 during Ohtani’s second season in Anaheim, said recently. “This guy is the greatest athlete to ever play the sport of baseball and there’s not a close second.”
Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers' franchise record for most homers in a season was 49. His previous best was 46, set in 2021.
"I kind of wanted to get over that bar,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised I was able to pass that record.”
Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively during the regular season, and he stayed healthy until Game 2 of the World Series. He injured his left shoulder trying to steal second base against the New York Yankees and finished the Series playing hurt.
He underwent surgery a few days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November.
"I don’t have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better,” he told the AP. “There’s no pain. There’s obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it’s getting better.”
Ohtani recently received an updated rehab schedule, and he’s focused on the near-term.
“It’s the small steps that I think are very important to get me to the ultimate goal, which is to just get back healthy,” he said.
Ohtani is also throwing in the 70 mph range, which is typical for pitchers early in the offseason.
"I’m going to continue to ramp up slowly,” he said.
The Dodgers’ rotation for next season is in flux, and Ohtani is waiting to see how it shakes out.
"We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game), which is what we did a lot during this season or we may have a six-man rotation,” he said. “But it’s all about balancing out when we can get rest and recuperate. We’ll see where that takes us along the playoff chase. I’ve got to obviously pace myself, but again that situation will guide us to how we get there.”
The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where Ohtani is even more closely watched.
"My personal goal is to be fully healthy by the time the opening games do start,” he said. “To be able to pitch and hit would be great, but the situation will kind of guide itself.”
Each time Ohtani comes to the plate or steps on the mound, there’s great pressure and expectation for him to perform spectacular feats.
"I just go out there and try to stay within myself,” he said. “I can only control what I can control and that’s where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust they’re going to make the plays for you. I don’t really try to overthink it.”
Ohtani generated big bucks for the Dodgers off the field, too.
Fans traveled from Japan in droves to see him play around the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they paid extra for tours of baseball’s third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the field during pre-game batting practice. A majority of the fans bought Ohtani-branded merchandise, especially his No. 17 jersey.
Ohtani’s presence also helped the Dodgers land a bevy of new Japanese sponsors.
Because Ohtani prefers to speak Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he is shrouded in a bit of mystique. Asked before his first postgame series if he was nervous, he dropped a one-word answer in English: “Nope,” which drew laughter.
Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani’s behind-the-scenes interactions with his teammates, coaches and staff, and came away impressed.
"I really do believe that as good of a ballplayer as he is, he’s a much better person. He’s very kind, considerate, he cares,” Roberts told the AP. “I’m just proud of any fame or glory or award that he receives because he just does it in such a respectful and humble way.”
Ohtani relishes his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the field. That’s why his February announcement via Instagram that he had wed Mamiko Tanaka, a former basketball player, stunned his new teammates and the rest of the world.
The following month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was enveloped in scandal when his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of using millions of dollars of Ohtani’s money to place bets with an illegal bookmaker.
His new teammates rallied around Ohtani, who was found to have no part in the wrongdoing, and publicly it didn’t seem to affect him even if he was privately distressed by it.
By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax fraud charges and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani.
The public got a glimpse of Ohtani’s softer side in August, when his dog Decoy delivered a first pitch to his owner on their shared bobblehead night. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani at the plate.
As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the list of the most mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the telecast of last month’s National Dog Show, where the small Spaniel-type breed was among the competitors.
"The number of the breed has kind of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit of popularity hopefully that brings up the number of his breed,” Ohtani said. “I do feel like we were able to, in a small way, contribute to the popularity of the dog and I’m sure Decoy himself would be happy about that.”
Ohtani will be looking to top himself next year while eyeing a repeat World Series title.
"It’s almost like right now you can lock in the Most Valuable Player in the National League award because no one has that ability or talent,” Roberts said.
"I’m just excited to see what ’25 has for Shohei Ohtani.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is honored for being first MLB player to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates as he heads to first for a solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
FILE- Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates in the locker room after their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani heads to first after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds Friday, May 17, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani runs from first on his way to stealing second during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
FILE -Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is hit with sunflower seeds after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, FIle)
FILE- Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani smiles in the dugout before a spring training baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Phoenix, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
